In order to combine power generated from two or more input voltage or energy sources to get a DC output voltage, different circuit topologies of multi-input power converters have been proposed in recent years [1-4]. The input voltage or energy sources may for example comprise clean energy sources such as solar arrays, wind turbines, fuel cells and commercial ac power lines.
A common limitation of some known multiple-input power converters is that only one input power source is allowed to transfer power or energy to the output at a time to prevent power coupling effects. Recently, in order to overcome this limitation, it has been proposed to use multiple-input winding transformers based on flux additivity technology with phase-shifted PWM control. While this technology can transfer power from two or multiple different input voltage sources to the DC output and its associated load individually or simultaneously [5], reverse blocking diodes are required at the input drivers of the multi-input power converter. The reverse blocking diodes are needed to prevent a reverse power flow from one of the input voltage sources to another input voltage source through the coupled primary side of the transformer and through body diodes of semiconductor switches of the input drivers.
Without these reverse-blocking diodes, different input sources coupled to the multi-input power converter cannot deliver power to the load simultaneously. Some prior art approaches to overcome the problems associated with the coupling between the transformer input windings have relied on a shared low reluctance path or utilized flux cancellation mechanisms to decouple the input windings of a transformer [6]. In addition, higher current stress in low side MOSFETs of the input driver can be imposed due to a clamped voltage of the mutually coupled input inductor windings which causes a higher power loss.
Consequently, it would be advantageous to provide an integrated magnetics component with uncoupled input conductors for use in multiple-input power converters and other applications to allow multiple input power sources to be operated independently without compromising any functions of the power converter or require complex control or protection circuitry to be added to the input drivers.